ID :
342239
Tue, 09/23/2014 - 12:43
Auther :

Thailand joins ASEAN+8 Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM)

VIENTIANE, LAO PDR, September 23 (TNA) - Thailand participates in the 32nd ASEAN+8 Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM), hosted by Laos from September 22-24. Thai Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee attended the 32nd ASEAN+8 Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in Vientiane, Laos' capital, in which 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the 10-member bloc's eight dialogue partners take part, including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Russia and the United States. Narongchai also held bilateral talks with his Lao counterpart on the sidelines of the regional forum, during which they agreed on a plan to set up a joint Thai-Lao committee tasked with information exchange on energy, covering oil, electricity and natural gas. At present, Thailand buys 2,000 megawatts of electricity from Laos, but the neighboring country has targeted to increase power supply to Thailand to 5,400 megawatts over the next four years, after the construction of its coal-fired Hongsa Power Plant is completed next year, along with power supply from hydroelectric dams, namely Xayaburi, Xe Pian and Xe Namnoy. Thailand and Laos will later discuss the improvement of power transmission lines from Laos to integrate power supplies from many sources in the neighboring countries. Both sides will also discuss Laos' plan to buy electricity from Thailand to meet rising power demand, which has caused brownouts and blackouts from time to time. Regarding the ASEAN Power Grid Project, Singapore also plans to buy electricity from Laos with the transmission line to stretch over a distance of more than 2,000 kilometers from Vientiane through Thailand and Malaysia. (TNA)

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